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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28373865">Nightmares and Dreamscapes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DianaCharlotte81/pseuds/DianaCharlotte81'>DianaCharlotte81</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanditon (TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Happily Ever After, Love, Married Couple, Married Life, Nightmares</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:56:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,687</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28373865</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DianaCharlotte81/pseuds/DianaCharlotte81</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlotte has a nightmare about her wedding day. Can she wake up from the dream and be with the her true love, Sidney Parker? </p>
<p>This is my first fanfiction in a long, long time. I haven't been inspired or more likely, writer's block has taken complete control of me. I just love Sanditon and love a second season. The story needs it! Sidney and Charlotte need their HEA.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Charlotte Heywood/Sidney Parker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>84</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Nightmares and Dreamscapes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The October morning sky broke quiet and peaceful. The sun cast a rosy glow to the seaside of Sanditon. The autumn leaves were in all shades of orange, red and yellow. They waved lazily in the breeze as they floated to the ground. The air was crisp and smelled impossibly of apples. The birds sang from the sky. The whole world seemed to move in a hazy, slow motion.</p>
<p>Charlotte Heywood could not believe it - it was finally her wedding day.</p>
<p>She seemed to float out of the carriage and on the arm of her father. Flowers were strewn in her hair and her dress was the latest fashion from London - thanks to her friend Lady Susan. The church was already full to bursting with friends and family. The doors seemed to open on their own accord.</p>
<p>Charlotte could not stop her heart from racing wildly in her chest. After months of separation and angst, she was finally marrying the man she loved. She could see Sidney Parker standing straight and tall at the end of the aisle. She and her father began to walk towards the alter. For some reason, the walk seemed to take ages - it had not seemed this far in rehearsal.</p>
<p>The wedding guests hadn’t turned to watch them walk down the aisle. Oddly, they all kept their faces averted. Charlotte only saw backs of bonnets and the strong shoulders of men. She recognized Lady Susan, Mary and Tom Parker, Lady Denham, Lord and Lady Babington, Miss Lambe - all her friends but none turned to look at her. She glanced up at her father but his face was grim and drawn. Charlotte frowned, fear beginning to gnaw at her stomach. Something was wrong.</p>
<p>The church was eerily quiet. No music floated through the air. There were no murmurs or whispers from the guests. An eerie, cold silence filled the space.</p>
<p>Panic began to climb up Charlotte’s spine. She looked ahead of her for Sidney’s warm, reassuring eyes. He had loved her through all the obstacles - the engagement to his old love Eliza Campion, the struggle to find another source of money for Sanditon. Charlotte had been afraid they would never find each other again, but he had implored her to not give up hope. She had held onto that hope - burying it deep within her heart, keeping it secret unless the impossible could not be overcome.</p>
<p>Then a miracle. Lady Susan had flexed her social muscles and found many new investors for Sanditon. The town and the Parkers were saved from financial ruin. Only then had Eliza realized she had nothing to hold Sidney anymore. The threat of being denied invitations at every party or ball in London by Lady Susan was the final straw. She released Sidney from their engagement. Sidney had not wasted much time, riding to Willingden to ask to court Charlotte in earnest. Finally, a year later, they were to wed. Now there was something wrong. She couldn’t stop the panic crawling up her throat.</p>
<p>Standing at the alter was not her kind, loving fiancee smiling in reassurance just for her. Instead, it was the cold, indifferent, arrogant Sidney that had first come to Sanditon. There was no love in his dark eyes, his sharp jaw was clenched in irritation and his eyebrows were slanted in severe disapproval.</p>
<p>Charlotte’s heart bubbled in her chest. She found she could hardly breathe. Panic now scratched the back of her throat. This was not how it was meant to be.</p>
<p>She turned to her father, but he had turned to stone. A marble statue. She tried to free her arm, but it was cemented to his. She looked to the wedding guests, but they were equally solid and still.</p>
<p>Frantically, Charlotte looked to the alter and cried out Sidney’s name. He seemed to ignore her as he turned to the beautiful blonde woman beside him. Eliza laughed delicately and Sidney bestowed upon her one of his rare, bewitching crooked smiles. No, those smiles were meant for Charlotte!</p>
<p>Charlotte tried again to move, but she was stuck in place. She screamed but no one heard her. She couldn’t stop Eliza and Sidney turning towards Reverend Hankins. The vicar was beginning of the wedding ceremony. The pair at the altar again turned towards each other - the love shimmering between them.</p>
<p>“No!” She cried out, the panic screaming out of her throat. She began to thrash against her father, trying desperately to free herself and stop the wedding. It couldn’t end this way.</p>
<p>“Charlotte, wake up! “ A deep voice shouted in her ear as strong hands began to shake her shoulders. “Charlotte, wake up, my love!”</p>
<p>She sat up in bed, gasping for air, tears blinding her vision. She felt lost, disorientated - suddenly unsure of where or who she was.</p>
<p>Rough, but tender hands clasped her face and turned it. Soft kisses rained over her wet cheeks, her damp forehead. She reached out and clutched the strong arms in front of her. She shivered - her body felt as frozen as ice.</p>
<p>“Charlotte, look at me, my love. It was just a dream. A nightmare.” That voice - that voice that echoed in her heart. The deep, beautiful voice that could send shivers up and down her spine.</p>
<p>“Sidney?” she gasped. Her eyes still couldn’t focus, her tears were flowing too quickly. She tried to wipe her eyes, but Sidney beat her to it. He made soothing sounds and brushed her sweat-drenched hair from her forehead. His mouth continued to rain kisses on her face.</p>
<p>“Charlotte, it’s alright. You’re safe. You’re home in bed with me. No one can hurt you. It was only a nightmare.”</p>
<p>“Sidney,” she breathed, her eyes finally clearing. She stared at him, drinking him in as if she hadn’t seen him for weeks. His short, brown curls were tousled in sleep. His jaw was peppered with heavy beard stubble. His dark eyes worriedly stared into her own. His body was naked under the bed covers - she could feel every strong muscle in his chest, arms and thighs.</p>
<p>He was real. He was her husband. This was their bedroom in their home in Sanditon. They were spending a few weeks visiting the Tom Parkers and for Sidney to conduct business. It was late and she could hear the ocean waves through the open windows. She could smell the ocean breeze.</p>
<p>“Oh, God, Sidney,” she gasped and threw herself into his arms. She clutched him as if she were drowning in the ocean outside. She still couldn’t stop shaking. He gripped her body close to his own.</p>
<p>“Charlotte, what happened?” he pulled far enough away to look at her face. “You’re terrified.”</p>
<p>She shook her head.</p>
<p>“It was horrible,” she sobbed. “It was our wedding day, but you were marrying <em>her</em>. There was nothing I could do - no one could help. And you seemed so happy with <em>her</em>. It was as if I was intruding on your storybook ending.”</p>
<p>“Charlotte, oh, sweet, dearest Charlotte,” Sidney moaned, kissing her gently. “I’m so sorry. I hurt you so much when I engaged myself to Eliza. I can never apologize enough.”</p>
<p>She sobbed again on his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Darling, you know you are the only woman I love. There could be a dozen Eliza Campions, but I wouldn’t want any of them. You are the woman who owns my heart. I love you, Charlotte.”</p>
<p>He lifted her face to meet her tear-filled eyes. His forehead frowned in sadness. “Do you still doubt me?”</p>
<p>“Of course not,” she cried. “I know you love me as much as I love you. I don’t know what brings on these nightmares. Perhaps I feel like I am too happy - that I do not deserve our happiness or my life with you.”<br/>
“Charlotte, you deserve every minute of happiness. We’ve been through so much heartache. But we found a way back to each other again. We are meant to be together, my love, Never doubt that.”</p>
<p>Before she could respond, he kissed her with an intensity that almost stopped her frantic heartbeat. His soft lips moved in time with her own, his breath mingled with hers. Yes, Sidney was her love.</p>
<p>“Why did you not tell me about these dreams?” he asked, his hands still gently covering her cheeks.</p>
<p>“I don’t know. I didn’t mean to worry you. But I’ve never had a nightmare this intense. It felt so real Sidney.”</p>
<p>He frowned and sighed.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, my love. I can only tell you again how much I love you and will never betray that love again.”</p>
<p>“I know,” she whispered.</p>
<p>“But, I suppose, there will always be a shred of doubt that may creep in from time to time.”</p>
<p>“Sidney-”</p>
<p>“There’s only one solution I can think of to fix the problem,” he growled, his dark eyes taking on a new intensity. “Put new memories in your lovely brain so that you won’t have room for doubt. And I think I had better start right now.”</p>
<p>Before she could speak, Sidney’s lips had found hers again in a deep lustful kiss. His muscled arms held her small body against her own. Soon she was lost under the soft, passionate caresses of his lips, mouth and tongue. His fingers traced their way up and down her body until she felt as if her skin was on fire. He made sure that her focus was on him and him alone. In fact, all coherent thought had flown out of her head. Soon she was lost to all her senses as his sweet, beautiful body made love to her.</p>
<p>After what seemed like hours, days, weeks, the two lay with their limbs wrapped together, breathing heavily. Sidney again rained gentle kisses upon her burning, hot skin.</p>
<p>“Now, Mrs. Parker, what will you dream of tonight?” he whispered, nuzzling her earlobe.</p>
<p>She shivered. “Oh, yes. Only us.”</p>
<p>“Forever,” he murmured, nuzzling he neck, his hands moving towards her full breasts.</p>
<p>“Yes, forever. This is our happy ending,” she breathed, her heart feeling lighter than air. This was their reality and they deserved every minute of it.</p>
<p> </p>
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